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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Define "suitable" and "efficient"

Questions which ask who is a "true" homeschooler are not just theoretical nor are they meant to be divisive. They are important as public officials attempt to develop policies which balance the desire of parents to home educate with their alleged desire to keep all children safe and learning.

Responding to a report into home education, the government now wants a clearer definition of what is required.

Schools Minister Diana Johnson says all children should be "safe and learning".

Home education group, Education Otherwise, says that trying to define a "suitable" education will create another layer of hard-to-define benchmarks.

There's a rule in debate, he who defines wins.

Once officials define what is "suitable" and "efficient" in home education they will begin to examine which parents are meeting their standard and sanctioning those that don't. In the end, this unmeasurable assessment gives officials more jurisdiction into the private lives of law-abiding citizens who simply want to educate their children at home.

It is "we the people" who hold our state officials accountable and parents whoe define and decide what is suitable for our children, not the government.